Ashley & Chris "And They Lived Happily Ever After" October 2013

[disneyweddingoct2013]

So I have a blog where I keep everything posted for people to follow but I feel like I should do this just so I can get more ideas and opinions. Thanks for checking this out and following me. I'll keep this one short and sweet and just post our engagement story.

We went to Canada to St. Catherine's for a regatta competition for Chris' (the groom's) cousin the first week in June. We went with his grandparents who also took us to Niagara Falls after the regatta was finished. We stayed in the Embassy Suites with an amazing view of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. We went down to the falls to view them from the Table Rock with Grandma and Grandpa Bradt on June 5th, 2011. Being as this was my first time to the falls it was beautiful and I was completely amazed. Chris and I decided that we wanted to take the Journey behind the Mists and went down below the falls. We walked all the way down to the last hole in the falls after Chris said we could go out to the lookout and get wet after we explored the rest of the Canadian falls. We then went to the second hole where we were all alone and he was leaning around me. He then pulled away and got down on one knee with a pretty little white box. I freaked. He didn't say anything cheesy or tacky. It was a simple "Marry Me." I kept saying "Thank You" and "I love you." I didn't even say yes until we were walking down to the hall to the lookout. I got a beautiful little white gold ring with our birthstones (amethyst and peridot) in the shape of hearts with two tiny diamonds around it. I love it! I am so excited to be engaged and in love with the best man ever!

 

[virtuous girl]

Welcome Where are you planning on having your events?? Congrats!

 

[tric8783]

Congrats and Welcome!

We need wedding details!

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

Welcome!

 

[tinydancr06]

Welcome! Do you know what date in October you want? Our wedding will be in Oct 2013, too

 

[disneyweddingoct2013]

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the warm welcomes. We have our date set for October 05, 2013. We unfortunately are not able to get married at Disney World but we are going to have Disney touches in our 'Happily Ever After' Fairy Tale themed wedding. We will be getting married just north of our hometown in central Michigan. I am so excited, I can not wait. It feels like things are so surreal, I can't get over that I am marrying my best friend.

 

[disneyweddingoct2013]

So wonderful news! I finally found my dress and we also found my wedding ring. Neither was what I was originally looking for either, but they are both amazing! I still can't believe I am actually getting married, it is so surreal.

So my dress we found earlier last month while I was dress shopping with my Mother-in-Law (MIL) and Bridesmaid (BM). We went down to Grand Rapids to Bridal Elegance (which I recommend highly). It was a nice little boutique. My consultant was amazing, she has son who also has Spina Bifida and was very understanding and made the whole experience a dream. I started off slightly disappointed that they didn't have any of the dresses I really wanted to try on there. We did though however find a very plain dress which looked very pretty on me. It made my crutches seem to disappear. Chris' Aunt, MIL and BM all liked it, and I guess to an extent so did I. It was just very plain. They said I could add bling to it and add to it. I felt bad that I wasn't just feeling it. I really liked it but I felt like I would be settling. Needless to say I didn't buy my dress there.

We then decided to drive over to David's Bridal, whom said I wouldn't need an appointment to go try on dresses. Yeah I didn't get in their either because that place was a zoo. I can understand why they call it the 'Walmart of Bridal.' I liked my first experience at David's but every time since it just seems like every time I go there now, they don't have time for me or I'm too hard of a client. I'm not a fan.

Across the street though is the Alfred Angelo store. Anyone who had talked to me about dresses knows I am a huge Alfred Angelo fan. His designs are amazing, it doesn't help that he created the whole Disney Bridal collection. Going in I didn't think we were going to get in, there was a very large line to the counter. We did get in however and to top it off my consultant's name was Ashley. Sign from heaven right there. She asked me what I was interested in and what the MIL and BM would like to see me in. Then she picked out my choices and a few of her own. Once I got back to the dressing room she told me there was one dress she wanted to see me in first, the Disney Frog Prince Tiana 1 dress. So I tired it on...and fell in love. This dress is just so comfortable and beautiful. It hits me in all the right places and the corset hits wonderfully on my hips keeping all the weight right there. I love this dress. It is a beautiful taffeta number (so very light), with small flowers and pearls on the one shoulder flowing down the bodice and on the waist. This dress is everything I didn't think I wanted. It is taffeta and not satin, one shoulder not strapless and has small flowers on it. I love this dress though! *sigh* I can not wait to go buy it.

MIL wanted me to try it on again three weeks ago though. Chris' Grandmother got to her along with a few other people. Everyone thought I would fall out because I am a bit more blessed up top than other girls. We ended up going to Auburn's Unique Bridal and I tried it on again. I also tried on the Disney Beauty and the Beast Belle 2 dress and fell in love with that one too. That one is over my budget. Once I tried on my dress again though I fell back in love. The Frog Prince dress is so my dress. I can not wait to wear it. I swear I won't take it off at my wedding night. We did end up finding my tiara at the shop in Auburn though. It is a beautiful as it was a steal. Originally over a hundred and fifty and I got it for twenty five. I love it too. I think I've also decided on a veil too. They have a beautiful cathedral veil that frames the dress. I just don't know if I can hand over two hundred for it. I'm hoping Chris' Aunt might be able to help us make it.

Well this had gotten quite long. I will have to post the story of the ring later. I will see you all later. I will also post pictures when I get them off the camera.

 

[DisneyBrideCKB]

Welcome and congratulations!! I'm just tuning in, but I'm excited to hear about your upcoming plans!
We are ALMOST wedding twins, just about a year apart!
I can't wait to see pictures of the dress, the ring, your DF...

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

I love your dress story. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[disneyweddingoct2013]

So I finally got my pictures from the Sister-in-Law (who took the camera and the SD card and hid them on all of us.) I'm so excited. I love my dress, I can not wait to buy it and wear it all the time. The first dress is the Belle 2 dress that I tried on and loved. The last three are the Tiana 1 dress that is my dress. You can kind of see my tiara I bought and the veil I want to get. I love how everything looks. Again I can not wait to buy my dress. BTW I love the last picture of my dress and I, loving it!

 

[DisneyBrideCKB]

Your dress is smashing!!!
I love the front and the sweet heart neckline and the back is to die for! Thanks for sharing!

 

[disneyweddingoct2013]

So I finally found my ring...kind of. I had originally decided on a more expensive Kay Jeweler's ring which I absolutely love. It has curves and a beautiful marquee diamond in the center. It reminds me a lot of my engagement ring. The downfall of said ring is that Chris didn't really like it because it was so tall. That being said I really didn't want to find a new ring because I loved it so much.

So when we went to Disney I started looking around looking for jewelry that would go with my dress without being too Disney. Chris started looking around too and he ended up finding this beautiful ring. It has curves and mimics my engagement ring beautifully. I so can not wait to wear it. Since it is a twelve dollar Downtown Disney ring we are going to take it to the jeweler which made my ring in town (Silverberg Jewelers). I can not wait to have it and be able to wear it every day. I also love the fact that it is a Disney ring since we are having a small Disney inspirations throughout the wedding. It also matches the fact that my dress is a Disney dress.

The first picture is my engagement ring, which I love completely. I didn't want diamonds and he designed and gave me exactly what I wanted. The second is the ring I wanted originally and the last picture is my wedding ring inspiration!

 

[DisneyBrideCKB]

Pretty Pretty.... PRETTY!! I love non-diamond rings. (But I'm partial! ) I think yours are just fantastic! It is soooo sweet that he designed your e-ring himself! Toooo adorable!

 

[disneyweddingoct2013]

I know, I think it is just amazing that he designed and then went and found my wedding ring. It is too perfect! He has such amazing taste in jewelry.

 

[disneyweddingoct2013]

And before I forget here is a picture of my wonderful fiance and I. We took this last week during our trip to WDW.

 

[MrsRomance]

Hi Ashley,
Just catching up! I'm a native Michigander now in the UK

Love the dresses, you looked beautiful! I can't wait to hear about the rest of your plans!

 

[disneyweddingoct2013]

I checked out your VR page and love it! I have already told my DF that we are getting our VR at WDW. We have to go to Europe for our first year to make his family happy but I figured for our 5 year we will be at Disney. It's so cool that you are originally from MI too! I haven't found too many on here yet.

 

[disneyweddingoct2013]

Hey guys sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I have been crazy busy in a sick way. I have been feeling really nauseous and sick for the past three weeks in addition to pain on my right side. I went to the emergency room last Monday and they told me I need to get my Gall Bladder taken out. Sounds like it's really bad. Problem is that was last week and I can't get into the general surgeon until tomorrow. That is almost two weeks later. I'm hoping I can get this taken out by Friday. I am sick of this, it hurts so bad today. I can really tell when I get dehydrated, the pain is horrible.

On a different note my wedding dress came in already! There was a cancellation and my dress came in sooner. I am so excited. I can't wait to put it on again. I so hope my wedding goes off without a hitch. I can't wait I wish it was already next year. I can't wait to marry my best friend and have him see my dress.

I've also been busy with a budding business possibly. I'm working with photography and possibly making it an actual job. I'm calling it (as of right now and possibly keeping the name) DayDream Photography. I'm so excited. I know there are a bunch of photographers with this name but I checked and I couldn't find any that were in Michigan. I'm excited, I have two weddings and another session at my county fair already in the pipelines. I've also ordered a few new lens and things for my camera. I can not wait to play with my tele lens and macro lens tomorrow when it comes in. I'm so excited.

So yeah I've been really busy. And I love the way my life is going right now. I can't wait to hit the pavement with my feet running once I get this stupid Gall Bladder taken out. Hope you guys haven't missed me too much and I will try and post a few of my new photos soon.

 

[yourgypsy]

Hello! Just joining in now. You look SO beautiful in that dress! I love all the sparkly details on the top. And your rings are so pretty!

I'm so sorry to hear about the gall bladder problems. That wicked sucks that you've had to wait. It's bad enough being in pain, but having to wait for the surgeon or doctor... ugh! I hope that they're able to get in you before Friday!

 

[CinderALLIE]

Congrats on the engagement.

Good luck with the gall bladder surgery.